Blink Camera not Detecting Motion: Causes and Solutions

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Home » Blink » Blink Camera not Detecting Motion: Causes and Solutions
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Written By Dinu Sri

Dr H. T. D. S. Madusanka is an electronic expert with 10 years of experience, involved in the research and development of SMART HOME systems.

Blink is an Amazon company that produces high-end security cameras for home and office safety. The Cameras are built using advanced features and backed by AI technology that detects the movement of the sensors and records the live video on the camera. 

The trouble with the Blink camera motion detection could have several reasons. Many users have reported that the Blink camera stopped working or motion detection is not working correctly. 

Whenever there is a problem with the system, the Blink camera will respond with the screen’s error message. It may flash the message “Camera Busy” or “Thumbnail Failed” on the net. 

The message is thrown when your sync module is not communicating with the camera. It is having trouble connecting with the core module and cannot function correctly. 

How do I get my blink camera to detect motion?

There are several ways you can fix this problem and get the camera to work correctly again. The first thing that you can do is scan the network using the RouteThis setting. You can find the default setting in your app. 

Once you initiate the process, the system will diagnose the system and collect the required information. The blink agents will use this information to evaluate your wireless network and the error message’s reason. 

Follow these steps one by one and see if it resolves the issue.

1) Checking Wi-Fi connectivity is essential; therefore, move the camera closer to the sync module. Check the signal strength on the camera Wi-Fi setting. It must have 3 bars of the signals on the system.

If it below the 3 bar indicates that the network is not sufficient and may cause delayed connectivity. The “Camera to Sync Module” is also not working correctly and causing a problem to the motion detection system.

2) Restore the power in the modem. There are chances that the system has a connectivity problem or the software has frozen due to an unexpected power cut. Restarting the modem would enable the software to reboot all the setting back and function it correctly. Unplug the power cable. Wait for five minutes. 

Plug the power cable again and switch on the power. The restoration process may take some time, and once it is done, the software glitch or freezing problem might have disappeared. 

3) Like the above, the camera is powered with other sources of electricity provided through batteries. Follow a similar procedure as above with the batteries. Remove the batteries from the camera. Keep it aside for 30 seconds. Reinsert the batteries back to the camera and check again if the camera responds correctly.

4) Another way to power the camera is using the micro USB cable. Suppose there is a problem with the power connection. The camera might not be able to receive the required charge from the batteries or the power cable. 

You can find the micro USB connection port on the camera. Connect the camera using the USB cable. Follow this procedure after removing the batteries from the camera. Check if the camera works properly with the USB cable connected to it.

Blink mini motion detection not working problem?

On some occasions, the Blink camera does not respond appropriately when some settings block the camera’s essential features. The setting might have been updated manually or by mistake. 

You need to check each location before you conclude. The blink camera setting can be restored as usual when it is not performing correctly. 

Use these guides to check each set of your Blink camera and try to resolve the issue.

1) Access the Blink system and ensure the motion detection is turned on. Go to the setting where you can find the motion detection on and off button.

2) The next step is the check whether the camera is armed. It means the camera has a setting where you can see the dark “running man” next to the camera setting button.

3) Check another setting in the app where it says the entire system is armed. The setting is located in the lower right-hand corner. It should be on.

4) Wi-Fi network connection could be the reason for the problem. Ensuring the right signal strength would make your camera work again as usual. To check the network problem, Carry your device near the router and connect the camera as standard.

Perform the video recording and check and output the video. If the Blink camera is working fine near the router with a good network connecting signal, the camera is not getting sufficient bandwidth. 

Either the place is far away from the range of the WIFI network. Or the Wi-Fi connectivity is blocked by the barrier around the camera. You can even try to replace your router with a high-capacity Wi-Fi device that emits high-frequency radio waves. 

The modern Wi-Fi network with a high-speed internet facility is suitable for exchanging data from remote devices. The camera with the different routers and see if that resolves the issue.

5) Batteries can be the culprit of the issues. The batteries that come with the cameras may have lots of power due to storing them for a long time. 

Replace the batteries with a new one and see if it works properly. When you remove the batteries, let the camera sit empty for a minute on the table. Put the batteries back after some time and see if it works properly.

Blink xt2 not detecting motion problem?

Blink camera is far more advance in detecting and resolving the problem by themselves without needing human touch. The application run by the Blink Camera receives software updates periodically, keeping it up to date with the system. 

Additionally, the Blink camera protects itself from the hack or any manipulation by the third-party application. So there are very few chances that it would trouble you due to a software problem.

If we talk about the hardware, the Blink camera uses industries best hardware component to power the application. The hardware is tested for various conditions before considering for the application.

Still, all electronic devices are vulnerable to environmental or human damage, so you should understand the reason behind it and ensure that your system is in a good state always.

How far does a blink camera detect motion?

The Blink Camera detection motion range is approximately 25 feet from the device.

Here are some of the reasons why your Blink camera may have a problem operating the primary function in normal conditions.

1) Software Update: There are two reasons why a software update can cause your Blink Camera problem. Number one is the regular firmware update. 

During the firmware update, the exiting application crashes during the update causing a break in the downloading process. In this situation, your existing application will have half of the new file, and the remaining is still pending. 

The new application overlaps the existing application, and the software shows the error message while operating. In some condition, the Blink camera stop working altogether. 

Therefore, it is advisable to check your internet connection and the power connection before initiating the firmware update. 

Troubleshoot the camera using the system setting

Ensure that your software update gets sufficient time and bandwidth to download and run a new software application on your device. The second reason your software update is not working would be directly connected to your application virus.

There are chances that some virus has affected the core file, and it is not allowing the new firmware to download. Because the application is resisting the basic features, you will encounter several issues in your blink camera when affected by the virus. 

You should contact the Blink support team. They will analyze the software problem and guide you to resolve these issues with a new update or resetting the existing application.

The firmware or the software update is released periodically. The new features are added to the existing application. 

Also, the existing application made a bug free similar to the mobile application operating system update. Updating the blinking software to the latest version keeps your application up to date and error-free. Also, a security update prevents any hack attack and protects your assets.

2) Battery problem: Every blink device has inbuilt batteries. These batteries are replaceable. When the batteries are not working, you have to replace them with the new ones to keep your blink camera working again. 

There will be an indication on your application about the remaining charge in your batteries. When you detect it is going below 10% of the overall capacity, it is time to replace it. 

The battery powers the blinking camera when there is no power from the primary circuit. The batteries are also part of many internal features. 

Therefore, it is advisable to check your batteries to avoid any trouble frequently. Regular maintenance of the batteries would help you to keep your system error-free.

3) WIFI connectivity: Wi-Fi connectivity is a significant issue of the blinking camera behind the low-resolution picture quality or difficulty while recording the videos. Many users who reported the blink Camera problem have found later that their Wi-Fi connectivity was causing the issues. 

The Blink camera seeks a high bandwidth internet facility to run the application at its 100% capacity. Any problem during the internet connectivity would result in a problem with the Blink Camera. You will experience an error message on the screen.

In some cases, the router’s Wi-Fi connectivity is high, but when the Blink Camera is placed far from the Wi-Fi device, it causes connectivity. 

The Wi-Fi is made of radio waves, which can travel from the air, but when it comes to passing through thick layers such as walls or metal, the Wi-Fi connectivity slows down. The signal will not pass through a thick layer. 

So you have to consider several aspects of the internet when you are connecting your blink camera through Wi-Fi. 

In some situations, the Wi-Fi router is placed in the home. The blink camera device is fixed at the door or somewhere outside as a security camera to protect your assets. If the Wi-Fi cannot reach the device placed outdoors, it will lag in internet connectivity.

This Xiaomi Mi WiFi Router is a good choice if you want to have high bandwidth and quality Wi-Fi network covering most of your home. To cover any blind spot or outdoors, you can use this Xiaomi Wi-Fi amplifier as necessary.

In the worst case, all these approaches failed, the best option is to go wired network. Therefore, connect the Blink camera using the Ethernet cable instead of the Wi-Fi connectivity. Ethernet connectivity will ensure that your camera is always connected to the high-speed internet facility.

4) Default setting mismatch: There are many occasions when users change the setting to test different blinking camera features using the application. In the process, users turn some of the advanced settings on, causing the blinking camera problem. Some advanced features are given to monitor the blinking camera in certain conditions. 

If the condition doesn’t match the setting, the camera’s software will generate a result that might not look good on your screen. People have reported that half of the screen in Blink Camera seems grey, and only half the side is clear. 

Such a mismatch in the default setting generates an error, and you will face trouble operating your camera. If you are facing a similar problem, then reset the whole system again. 

Resetting the device will take you to the default setting, and your application will start again with the basic set. It will solve all your Blink camera problems.

Conclusion:

Diagnosing is the only way to detect the problem in your Blink Camera. If there is a hardware failure, you might have to replace the whole system by contacting the Blink team. The experts will visit your place to check the device and find the problem. 

If there is minor software or connectivity issue, it can be solved by following the above-given step. While going through each step, you will conclude why the Blink camera is showing the error. One of the solutions will solve your problem. Regular maintenance would keep your Blink camera up to date. 

The Blink support system is always open for discussion. You can place your query with the pictures on the open forum to get the experts’ solution. 

Team members from Blink will reply to your problem by analyzing the issue. If the situation requires a human touch, then the experts from the Blink team will be sent to your place.

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